A sea anemone is in the animal kingdom, even though it resembles a plant.

What characteristic allowed scientists to definitively classify the sea anemone as an animal rather than a plant?

Sea anemone are not photosynthetic

Sea anemone are eukaryotic

Sea anemone are heterotrophic

Sea anemone do not have cell walls

The characteristic that allowed scientists to definitively classify the sea anemone as an animal rather than a plant is that sea anemones are heterotrophic. Heterotrophic organisms obtain their nutrition by consuming other organisms or organic matter, while plants are typically autotrophic and obtain their nutrition through photosynthesis.